−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−− Upajāti
(Bālā)
anvavrajann-āśramiṇas-tatas-taṁ
tad-rūpa--māhātmya-gatair-manobhiḥ |
−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−
deśād-anāryair-abhibhūyamānān-maharṣayo
dharmam-ivāpayāntam || 7.35
7.35
Then
the ashram-dwellers followed him,
Their
minds directed on his beauty and dignity –
Like
great seers following the dharma, when,
From
a land being overrun by uncivil people,
the
dharma is retreating.
COMMENT:
EBC
translated deśād-anāryair-abhibhūyamānāt
as “from a land invaded by the base”; EHJ as “from a land
overrun by infidels”; and PO as “from a land that's overrun by
barbarous men.”
As
a translation of abhibhūyamānāt, “overrun” seems to fit, but
with two present participles in the second half of the verse
(abhibhūyamānāt, beng overrun, and apāyantam, retreating), the
original might be intended to sound more dynamic. With that in mind,
I was tempted to translate the final word of the verse, apāyantam,
as “running away.”
I
am not sure how best to translate anāryaiḥ. Some Sanskrit words
with many different connotations, like dharma, many translators seem
to agree, are best left untranslated. But āryan is a difficult one
since in Sanskrit its connotation is positive (as in the four āryan
truths), whereas to us, due to the appropriation of the term Aryan by
Hitler and the Nazis, the connotation has become negative.
Thus,
ironically, the flight of Albert Einstein from Germany to America
fits very well with what is described in today's verse, but Einstein
was running away from people who claimed to be Aryan.
As
a translation of anāryaiḥ, EHJ's “infidels” has the merit of
the English in- mirroring the Sanskrit an-, and that translation is
supported by the MW dictionary definition of an āryan as
“one who is faithful to the religion of his country.” PO's
“barbarous men” has the merit of avoiding religious barnacles,
though it can't help bringing to my mind images of barbarian hordes
sacking Rome. I have veered in the end towards under-statement with
the incipid but relatively neutral “uncivil.”
Besides
Albert Einstein, another example that springs to mind of a great seer
leaving a land where conditions were becoming unfavourable to pursuit
of the truth is the example of Master Bodhidharma, the Zen patriarch
who, 16 generations after Aśvaghoṣa, went from India to China.
Might Aśvaghoṣa have somehow seen it coming? Conversely, might Bodhidharma have been helped in his decision by reading, hearing, and reciting these words of Aśvaghoṣa?
Might Aśvaghoṣa have somehow seen it coming? Conversely, might Bodhidharma have been helped in his decision by reading, hearing, and reciting these words of Aśvaghoṣa?
In
conclusion, then, today's verse is one of those verses that we have
encountered before in which ostensibly a simile is subordinate to an element in the narrative but in which really the narrative might be subordinate to the simile. In other words, Aśvaghoṣa's real intention may be to use an element in the narrative which is not so
important (the ascetics were transfixed by the prince) to draw our
attention to a principle that deserves deeper consideration (people who are
very wise, when conditions are becoming unworkable, do not always hunker down in preparation to make a heroic last stand like General Custer; sometimes they put an egg in
their boot and beat it).
VOCABULARY
anvavrajan
= 3rd pers. pl. imperf. anu- √ vraj : to follow
(especially a departing guest , as a mark of respect)
āśramiṇaḥ
(nom. pl. m.): mfn. belonging to a hermitage , a hermit , anchorite
tataḥ:
ind. then
tam
(acc. sg.): m. him
tad-rūpa-māhātmya-gataiḥ
(inst. pl. n.):
rūpa:
n. outward appearance ; handsome form , loveliness , grace , beauty ,
splendour
māhātmya:
n. (fr. mahā*tman) magnanimity , highmindedness; exalted state or
position , majesty , dignity
gata:
mfn. relating to , referring to , connected with (e.g. putra-gata
sneha , love directed towards the son)
manobhiḥ
(inst. pl.): n. mind
deśāt
(abl. sg.): m. place ; province , country , kingdom
anāryaiḥ
(inst. pl. m.): mfn. not honourable or respectable , vulgar ,
inferior
ārya:
m. a respectable or honourable or faithful man , an inhabitant of
āryāvarta ; one who is faithful to the religion of his country ; a
man highly esteemed , a respectable , honourable man ; (with
Buddhists [pāli ayyo , or ariyo]) a man who has thought on the four
chief truths of Buddhism (» next col.) and lives accordingly , a
Buddhist priest ; mfn. Aryan; behaving like an Aryan , worthy of one
, honourable , respectable , noble ;
abhibhūyamānāt
= abl. sg. m. pres. part. passive abhi- √ bhū: to overcome ,
overpower , predominate , conquer , surpass , overspread ;
maharṣayaḥ
(nom. pl.): m. a great ṛṣi , any great sage or saint
dharmam
(acc. sg.): dharma
iva:
like
apayāntam
= acc. sg. m. pres. part. apa √i: to go away , withdraw , retire ,
run away , escape ; to vanish, disappear
時彼諸梵志 悉來請留住
眷仰菩薩徳 無不勤勸請
眷仰菩薩徳 無不勤勸請
汝從非法處 來至正法林
而復欲棄捨 是故勸請留
而復欲棄捨 是故勸請留
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